Door opening and door checking device



E. L.. ALLEN D003 OPENING AND DooR CHECKING DEVICE OcL 29, 1940.

Filed Feb. `5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheei 1 INVENTOR. EDWIN L.ALLEN.

Oct. 29, 1940. E. l.. ALLEN DOOR `OPENING AND DOOR CHECKING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, i940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.5

INVENTOR. E D WIN L. ALLEN.

liiniz Y l ORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 29, 1.940

UNITED STATES l 2,219,800 noon. oPENmG AND Doon cHEoxmG DEVICE EdwinL. lleh, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Rudolph I. Schonitzer, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application February 5, 1940, Serial No. 317,293

15 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to door opening devices and to combining door opening and door checking devices, said devices preferably being of such character that they yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of the doors with which they are used from the open positions lto which said doors are automatically movable by said devices. As will hereinafter appear, devices embodying the present invention are particularly adapted for use with'doors which are so hinged "on their supporting structures that the hinge edge Walls of said doors and the hinge edge walls of said supporting structures are in oppositely positioned or generally abutting relationship when said doors are in their closed positions, such as the doors of automobiles or the like, for example.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a door opening device which automatically effects, up'on the unlatching of the door with which it is used, the movement of said door to any desired open position, either a partially open positionor the fully open position of said door.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device which not only is eective, upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, to automatically move said doorV to any desired open position but which also is effective to yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of said door from the position to which it is automatically movable. Therefore, if the open position to which said door -is automatically movable is the fully open position of said door. said door Will be releasably held or retained in its fully open position, and as a result, the use oi separate holding means for that purpose is Wholly unnecessary. If, on the other hand, the open position to which said door is automatically movable is a partially open posivtion thereof, the closing of said door from said partially open position will be yieldlngly resisted by such device, and if said door has a normal tendency to close, like most present-day automobile doors, said door will remain in such partially open position unless it is manually closed or manually moved to a further open position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combined door opening and door checking device which is e'ective, upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, to automatically open said door to any desired extent, and to check or arrest thelopening movement of 4said door when it reaches its fully open Position, thereby making wholly unnecessary the (CL 1li-86) use of separate means for such door checking purpose.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device which is effective, upon the unlatching of the door with which it is used, to automatically open said door to any desired extent, to check the opening movement of said door when it reaches its fully open position, and to yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of said door from the open position to which it is automatically movable.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a door opening device which can be readily converted into a combined door opening and door checking device by the mere mounting of bumper means on the arm thereof, and conversely, the provision of a combined door opening and door checking device from which the checking function thereof can be readily eliminated by the mere removal of the bumper means from the arm thereof.

Other features of devices embodying the present invention are their structural simplicity, which enables them to be made and sold at low cost; their strong and rugged character, which enables them to have an exceedingly long life in service without requiring attention from time to time; and the eiciency with which they perform their intended functions,`name1y, the function of automatically opening to any' desired extent the doors with which such-devices are used and the function of yieldingly resisting (but only to a desirable degree) the closing of said doors from Ythe positions to which they are automatically opened; or those two functions with the additional function of checkingor arresting the opening movement of said doors when they have reached their fully open positions.

Further features of devices embodying the present invention are in part obvious and in part will appear from the following description of three such devices, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is an outside elevation oi a portion of a left front automobile door and that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged, parts ofthe outer side walls of said door and body portions being broken away to expose the combined door opening and door checking device associated therewith, said door being in its clos-ed position; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionalview, onan enlargedscale, throughsaid door Yand body portions, the view being on the line 2,-2, Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through said door and body portions, the view being on lso the line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 41s a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the door in its fully open position (the position to which it is automatically movable); Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 and showing a device which differs from the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive only in that it has no door checking function; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional viewthrough a portion of a left front automobile door and a part of that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged and showing associated therewith a combined door opening and door checking device having its arm pivotally secured to said body portion rather than to said door, the view being on the line 6 6, Fig. '1; and Fig. '1 is a horizontal sectional view through the door and body portions of Fig. 6, the view being on the line 1 1, Fig. 6, and showing in dotted lines the fully open position of said door (the position to which said door is automatically movable).

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to be understood that such invention is not limited to the details of construction or the specific arrangement of parts herein illustrated or described, as the invention obviously may take other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. i

Although devices embodying the present invention are applicable for use with any hinged door having its hinge edge wall oppositely positioned or in generally abutting relationship with respect to the hinge edge wall of its supporting structure (the structure on which said door is hinged), said devices are particularlyuseful with -the doors of automobiles or the like, and for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the use of three of such devices with present-day automobile doors is here shown and described.

Referring first to Figs, 1 to 4 inclusive, the reference numeral I designates a portion of a. left front automobile door, said door having its ytransverse front edge wall 2 suitably hinged, as

is usual, on the transverse rear edge Wall 3 of that portion of the automobile body shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive and designated generally by the reference numeral 4l, a pair of concealed hinges 5 being used for that purpose, the hinge axis I5 of said door being indicated in Figs.4 1 t 4 inclusive. As best shown in Fig. 2, when the door I. is in its closed position, the door and body edge walls 2 and 3 (which edge walls are hereinafter termed hinge edge walls) are inoppositely positioned or generally abutting relationship, by which is meant that such hinge edge walls are oppositely positioned or disposed and either in actual contact or, as here shown, relatively close to each other.

Although any suitable means may be utilized for releasably retaining the door I in its closed position (the position of said door in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive) and for actuating said retaining means to release said door for opening movement (said retaining means being hereinafter referred to broadly as latch means), devices embodying the present invention are particularly useful in conjunction with doors Whose latch means have push-buttons or the like for effecting release actuation of said latch means, as the opening of said doors, to any extent desired, is automatically effected by the present devices. Projecting door handles, by the use of which present-day automobile doors are unlatched and manually opened, not only are dangerous (in that many severe -present-day handles for door opening purposes is wholly unnecessary. As a result, simple pushbuttons or the like, desirable from many standpoints, may be used with the latch means of doors with which are used the volved.

The latch means, therefore, of the automobile door I of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive may be, and preferably is, of the type in which push-buttons or the like are utilized for effecting release actuation thereof. For example, said latch means may devices here inbe of the form disclosed in the Schonitzer Patent No. 2,094,413 for Door control mechanism, to which patent reference may be had, if desired. However, inasmuch as the latch means of the door I forms no part of the present invention,

no latch means for such door is here shown or described.

As will hereinafter more fully appear, each of the devices here illustrated (devices which are capable of automatically swinging relatively heavy doors, such as present-day automobile doors to partially open positions thereof or to their fully open positions) is of simple and inexpensive character and of such compact form that it may be easily and conveniently mounted between the general planes of the inner and outer sidewalls of an automobile door and the general planes of the inner and outer side walls of that portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged, there being (see Figs. 2, 5 and '7) more or less alignment of the outer side wall of such a door and the outer side wall of such a body portion and more or less alignment of the inner side wall of su'ch a door and the inner side wall of such a body portion, when said door is in its closed position.

As a result, the devices here involved not only are eminently satisfactory from structural and functional standpoints but also, are commercially practical for present-day automobile doors,

as such devices are concealed from view when .the doors with which they are used are intheir closed positions, and their exposure, evenlwhen such doors are in their fully open positions, is such that they are entirely unobjectionable.

Although'the devices here involved may take various forms, the combined door opening and door checking device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive includes an arm 8, the rear end of which is pivotally connected, in any suitable manner and by any suitable means, to the automo- A bile door I, between the general planes of its I0, there being, for the extension therethrough of said arm, a suitable aperture I I in the hinge edge wall 3 of said body portion and a suitable aperture I2 in the transverse wall I3 of the sheet metal reinforcement pillar I4 with which such body portion is here provided. As here shown,

screwed or otherwise suitably secured to the door hinge edge Wall 2.

Arranged within the automobile body portion t is a generally U-shaped Asheet metal bracket having upper and lower side walls 2| and 22 I and a front end wall 23 by which said side walls are connected at their forward ends, the side walls of said bracket Abeing generally horizontal andthe front end wall of said bracket being generally vertical, as here shown. For the securement of said bracket to the automobile body portion 6, the bracket side walls 2i and 22 are here provided at their rear ends with diverging flanges 2d, which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the transverse pillar wall I 3, and said bracket side walls are also here provided at their inner sides with diverging anges 25, which are screwed or otherwise suitably secured-to the inner side wall 9 of said automobile body port'on. As

best shown in Figs. l and 3, the arm t. which is generally horizontally disposed, Alies between the upper and lower bracket side Walls 2i and 22 and extends through a suitable aperture 27 in the generally vertical bracket front end wall 23, and although such bracket wall may be used, if desired, for guiding said arm, in its reciprocatory movement as the door I is opened and closed, a 'suitably apertured rubber pad 29 or the like is here utilized for such arm guiding purposes, said pad being riveted or otherwise suitably secured -to the bracket wall 23 and lying alongside the front surface thereof.

For automatically electing the desired opening movement of the door I, upon the unlatching thereof, the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is provided with expansible means in the form of a coiled compression spring 80, which surrounds the arm 6 and abuts at its forward end the body bracket wall 23. Although the rear end of said spring may abut any suitable part oi the door i, the rear end of said spring here engages or bears against suitable abutment ineans with which said arm 6 is provided. As here shown, the arm is provided, adjacent its pivotal axis, with a suitable aperture for the reception of a cotter pin 3| or the like, and although the rear end ofthe compression spring 30 may directly engage said cotter pin, if desired, a sheet metal washer 32 is here interposed between said spring and said cotter pin.

The compression spring 30 is therefore confined between two abutment means, namely, one carried by the automobile body portion d (the bracket front end wall 23) and the other carried by the arm S (the cotter pin 3| and the washer 32), and inasmuch as said arm is pivotally connected to and moves with the door I, said spring is effective, through the force of its expansion, to automatically open said door, upon the unlatching thereof. As will be readily understood, the location of said arm abutment means relative to said body abutment means is such that during the movement of the door I to its closed position, theA spring 30 conned between said two abutment means is compressed, and thereby loaded, to the desired degree, and upon the unlatching of said door, said spring automatically effects the movement of said door to the desired open position. Although such position of said door may be a partially open position thereof, as heretofore pointed out. the position to which said door is automatically movable, as here shown, is its fully open position, a position which is determined, by the present device in the performance of its door checking function, as will hereinafter appear. If it is desired that the door I be automatically movable to a partially open position only, it is merely necessary to replace the compression spring 30 by a compression spring which is incapable of automatically moving said door beyond such partially open position, as will be readily understood.

As heretofore pointed out, devices embodying the present invention not only automatically effect, upon the unlatching of the doors with which they are used, the opening oi Isaid doors to the extent desired butV also, yieldingly resist the closing of said doors from the positions to which they are automatically opened. Inasmuch as the compression spring 30 of the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is eiective to fully open the door i, closing movement of said door from its fully open position is yieldingly resisted, and as a resuit, said door is releasably held or retained in its fully open position whenever it is moved thereto. With the device of Figs. l to 4 inclusive, therefore, no separate holding means is necessary for the door with which such device is used. If, on the other hand, the door I were automatically movable by said device to'a partially open position only, and if the releasable retention of said door in its fully open position were desired, the use of separate or additional if holding means for said door would be necessary for that purpose, although the closing of said door from said partially open position would be yieldlnglyy resisted, of course,by such door opening device. If said door had a normal .tendency to close, like most present day automobile doors, it would remain, of course, in the partially open unless it were manually closed or manually readily understood.

For the accomplishment of its door checking function, the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is provided, on thefree or forward end portion of its arm 6, with suitable bumper means for checking contact, when the automobile door I has been opened the desired extent, with suitable abutment means with which the automobile body portion 4 is provided. Although said arm bumper means and the body abutment means engaged thereby may bothlbe of rigid character, the fect of which would be the checking or arresting, in a non-yieldable manner, of the opening movement of the door I, it is desirable to have either said arm bumper means or said body abutment means, or both, of resilient character, in order,

vbe of yieldable character. As here shown, how'-` ever, the bumper means of the arm 6 comprises a bumper member in the form of a rubber block 36, the retention of which block on said arm is here eected by a `cotter pin or the like with .position to which it was automatically movable,

which said arm `is provided, a metal washer 30 being interposed, if desired and as here shown, between said `cotter pin and said rubber bumper block.

From the foregoing description of the combined door opening and door checking deviceof Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, and from the foregoing explanation of its operation it will be apparent that when the door l is in its closed position, the coiled compression spring 30 is sufficiently compressed between its two abutment means to put said spring in the desired loaded condition.A

Upon the unlatching of said door, said spring effects, through the force of its expansion, the automatic movement of said door to its fully open position, and such door opening movemen-t is yieldingly checked or arrested, when said door reaches its fully open position, by the engagement of the arm bumper member with the armguiding pad 28 of the body bracket wall 23. As closing movement of said door is yieldingly resisted, to the extent desired, lby the compression resistance of said expanded spring, said door will be releasably held or retained in its fully open position, all as will be readily understood.

It is not necessary, of course, that all devices embodying the present invention be capable of performing the three functions of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 'inclusive and heretofore described, namely, (a) the function of automatically opening, to any extent desired,'the door with which it is used; (b) the function of yieldingly resisting closing movement of said door from the position to which it is automatically opened; and (c) the function of checking or arresting the opening movement of said door when it reaches its fully open position. It is to be understood, therefore. that the present invention embraces and includes devices which do not have a door checking function. but merely the function of automatically opening the doors with which they are used yand the function of yieldingly resisting the closing of said doors from the positions to which said doors are automatically opened.

In Fig.5 there is illustrated, therefore, a device which diil'ers from the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive chiefly in that it has no arm Abumper means and hence, is incapable of checking `or arresting the opening movement of the lett front automobile door la with which it is used. The

device of Fig. 5 has, of course, the other two functions of the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. and therefore (a) automatically effects the movement of the door la to the desired open position, upon the unlatching of said door, and (4b)- yieldingly resists the closing of said door from the open position to which it is automatically movable. Inasmuch as the parts which the devicel of Fig. 5 includes or comprises are either identical with or quite similar to the corresponding parts of the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the parts of the device of Fig. 5 bear reference designations which differ from the reference numerals of the corresponding parts of the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive only by the suflix letter "a.

Although the arm 8 of the door opening and door checking device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive is pivotallyconnected to the automobile door I and extends into the automobile body portion 4, and the arm 6a of the door opening device of Fig. 5 is pivctally connected to the automobile door la and extends into the automobile body portion la, the arm of either device, if desired, may be 'is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, and inasmuch as the device of Figs. 6 and 7 is quite similar to the device of Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the two devices have their corresponding parts indicated by reierence designations which differ only by the suffix letter "17,

As to the device of Figs. 6 and 7, it is to be noted that the arm 6b is pivotally connected to a bracket l I1b suitably secured to the hinge edge wall 3b of the automobile body portion 4b; that said arm extends into the left front automobile door Ib through a suitable opening lib in the door hinge edge wall 2b; and that the bracket flanges 24h and 25h are secured, respectively, to the -hinge yedge wall 2b and the inner side wall 1b of the door |b. For the performance of its three functions (namely, gz) the function of automatically swinging to its'fully open' position (as here shown) the door I b -upon the unlatching thereof; (b) the function of yieldingly resisting the closing of said door from such fully open position; and (c) the function of yieldingly checking or arresting the opening movement of said door when it reaches its fully open position), the device of Figs. 6 and 7 operates in the same manner as the device of Figs. l to 4 inclusive and as a result,

no further reference to the device of Figs. 6 and 7 is believed to be necessary.

Further features and advantages of devices embodying the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which such Ainvention relates.

What I claim is:

1. A device for automatically m'oving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure, said device comprising an arm pivotally secured to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, abutment means associated with and located within the structure into which said arm extends, a second abutment means opposed to the first named abutment means, and a compression spring means surrounding said arm and coniined between said two abutment means, the confinement of said spring means between said two abutment means effecting the desired loading of said spring means during the closing of the door' structure and said spring means when so loaded beingeffetive to automatically move said door structure, if closed and unlatched. to an open position.

2. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure, said device comprising an arm pivotally secured to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, abutment means associated with and located withinthe structure into which said arm extends and constituting a guide for said arm, a second abutment means opposed to the first named abutment means, and expansible means carried by said arm and confined between said two abutment means, the confinement of said expansible means between said two abutment means effecting the desired loading of said expansible means during the closing of the door structure and said expansible means when so loaded being effective to automatically move said door structure. if closed and unlatched, to an open position.

3. A device for automatically moving to an ciated with and located within the structureinto which said arm extends and beyond which abutment means a part of said arm projects, a second abutment means opposed to the rst named abutment means, expansible means con-.

lined between said two abutment means, the coniinement of said expansible means between said two abutment means eiecting the desired load- -ing of said expansible means during the clos'ing with abutment means of the structure into which said arm extends when the door structure reaches a predetermined open position, with the consequent checking of further 'opening movement of said door structure.

4. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure and for checking the opening movement of said door structure when it reaches a predetermined position, said device comprising an arm pivotally secured to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, abutment means associated with and located within the structure into which said arm extends and beyond which abutment means a part of said arm projects, said abutment means constituting a guide for said arm, a second abutment means opposed to the iirst named abutment means, expansible means coniined between said two abutment means, the confinement of said expansible means between said two abutment means eiecting the desired loading of said expansible means during the closing of the door structure and said expansible means when so loaded being eiective to Vautomatically move said door structure, if closed and unlatched. to an open position, and bumper means on the projecting part ot said arm for checking contact with the aforesaid guiding abutment means when said door structure reaches a predetermined open position, with the consequent checking of further opening movement of said door structure.

-5. A device forautomatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged'on a supporting structure and for checking the opening movement of said door structure when it reaches its fully open position, said device comprising an arm pivotally secured to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, abutment means carried by and located within the structure into which said arm extends and beyond which abutment means a` effective to automatically move said door structure, if closed and unlatched. to an openv position, and bumper means on the projecting part of said arm for cooperation with abutment means ot the structure into which said 4arm extends in checking the opening movement of the door structure when it reaches its fully open position.

6. A device for 'automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure. said device y comprising a bracket secured to one of said structures in the region of its hinge edge wall and extending. at least when the door structure is closed, into the other structure, an arm pivotaily secured to said bracket and extending at al1 times into said last mentioned structure, abutment means associated with and located within-'said last mentioned structure, a second abutment means opposed to the iirst named abutment means, and expansible means surrounding sa'd arm and confined between said two abutment means, the coninement of said expansible means between said two abutment means effecting the desired loading of said expansible means during the closing of the door structure and said expansible means when so loaded being effective to automatically move said door structure, if closed and unlatched, to an open position.

7. A device for automatically moving to its fully open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure and for checkingthe opening movement of said door structure when it reaches such position, said de-l vice comprising an arm pivotally secured to one of said structures and extending into the other Structure, abutment means associated withand located within said last mentioned structure and beyond which abutment means a part of said arm projects, a second abutment means opposed to the first named abutment means, compression spring means surrounding said arm and confined between said two abutment means, the connement of said spring means between said abutment means effecting the desired loading of said spring means during the closing of the door structure and said spring means when so loaded being effective to automatically move said door stmoture, if closed and unlatched, to its fully open position, and bumper means on the projecting part of said arm for checking contact, when the door structure reaches its fully open position, with abutment means of the structure into which said arm extends, with the consequent checking of further opening movement of said door structure.

8. A device for automatically moving to an I open position a closed but unlatched door structo one of said structures and extending into the other structure. means carried by said arm and cooperable with abutment means carried by and located within the structure into which said arm extends for automatically effecting opening movement of the door structure upon the un- .latching thereof, and means carried by said arm vice comprising an arm connected to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, and means carried by said arm and cooperable with means carried by and located Within the structure into which said arm extends for automatically eirecting opening movement of the door structure upon the unlatching thereof.

10. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure and for checking the opening movement of said door structure when it reaches a predetermined position, said device comprising an arm connected to one of said structures and extending into the other structure. compression spring means carried by said arm and cooperable with abutment means of the structure into which said arm extends for automatically effecting opening movement of the door structure upon the unlatching thereof, and bumper means carried by said arm within the structure into which said arm extends and cooperable with the aforesaid abutment means of such structure for checking or arresting the opening movement of said door structure when it has been opened the desired extent.

11. A device for automatically moving to a predetermined open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure, said device comprising an arm connected to one of said structuresand extending into the other structure, and compression spring means carried by said arm and cooperable with the structure into which said arm extends for automatically eiecting the movement of the door structure to a predetermined open position upon the unlatching thereof.

12. A device for automatically opening\a closed but unlatched door structure hinged onfa supporting structure. said device comprising an arm pivotally connected to one of said structures and extending into the other structure, and spring compression means guided by said arm and located within said last-mentioned structure and cooperable with both of said structures for automatically effecting opening movement of the door structure upon the unlatching thereof.

13. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure and for checking the opening movement of said door unlatched. to an open position.

arm. means cooperable with said arm abutment means and with means carried by and located within the structure into which said arm extends for automatically enecting opening movement of the'door structure upon the unlatching thereof,

and means carried by said arm and cooperable 10 with the structure into which said arm extends for checking or arresting the opening movement of the door structure when it has been opened the desired extent.

14. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure. said device comprising an arm secured to one of said structures and extending into the other structure,

abutment means carried by and located within the structure into which said arm extends, abutment means carried by said arm, and expansible means cooperable with said two abutment means, the cooperation oi' said expansible means with said two abutment means eiecting the desired loading of said expansible means during the closing oi' said door structure and said expansible means when so loaded being effective to automatically move said door structure. it closed and 15. A device for automatically moving to an open position a closed but unlatched door structure hinged on a supporting structure, said device comprising an arm secured to one of said structures and extending into the other struc- 35 ture, abutment means carried by and located within the structure into which said arm extends n an open position.

EDWIN L. ALIEN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,219,800. october 29, 191m.

EDwIN ,L. ALLEN. I

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, fir-st column, l'ine 59, claim l2, strike out th'e word V"spring" and insert the seme after "compression" in line )40, same claim; and that the smidl Letters Patent should be read 'with this correction therein that the 'same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

signed and sealed this llith day of January, A. D. 19m.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seel) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

